In brief: Pilot missing after fighter jet crash

DEERFIELD, Va. – An experienced pilot was missing Wednesday after the flier’s F-15 fighter jet crashed in the mountains of western Virginia, shaking residents but causing no injuries on the ground, military and law enforcement officials said.

The pilot of the single-seat jet was headed to New Orleans for radar installation as part of routine maintenance and reported an in-flight emergency, then lost radio contact, authorities said. The pilot and jet are with the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, officials there said.

It was unclear whether the pilot had ejected and the plane had no munitions onboard, Col. James Keefe said at a news conference in Westfield, Massachusetts, home of the fighter wing.

Abandoned baby in critical condition

KEARNS, Utah – A newborn girl was fighting for her life a day after Utah police say her mother dumped her in a neighbor’s trash can, an act the woman’s parents said Wednesday that she didn’t fully comprehend.

The 2-day-old girl was on a ventilator and in critical condition, Unified Police Detective Jared Richardson said. The girl’s mother, 23-year-old Alicia Marie Englert, was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of attempted murder.

Her father, Robert Englert, told Utah media outlets that his daughter had a learning disability and didn’t understand her actions.

Coral listed as threatened species

WASHINGTON – The federal government is protecting 20 types of colorful coral by putting them on the list of threatened species, partly because of climate change.

Five species can be found off the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The other 15 are in the Pacific Ocean area near Guam and American Samoa.